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By Mance G

Today there are many different techniques of soil remediation used in Australia and throughout the world. This paper considers the thermal desorption remediation technique and, in particular, the application of high temperature filtration to the process. The thermal desorption technique involves the treatment of hydrocarbon (oil, petrol, etc) contaminated soil. The process involves heating the soil in a retort or kiln to drive off the volatile organic contaminants. The exit gas stream from the retort is subsequently passed through an after burner to thermally oxidise the hydrocarbons. This technique produces soil and combustion gas streams which are free of hydrocarbons. Due to the heating and agitation of the soil within the retort, soil particles become entrained in the hot gas stream. To avoid the blockage and fouling of the system's interim ductwork and the afterburner, high temperature filtration technology has been applied to remove these soil particulates without cooling the gas Stream.

Jan 1, 1995

By J. B. Scuffham, G. Eggett, W. R. Hopkins

With solvent extraction now being accepted as a major method for recovering copper from leach liquors, the authors' company decided that in tankhouse design full advantage was not being taken of the benefits available from sol- vent extraction produced electrolytes. Consequently, a major development program was undertaken to examine means of operating such tankhouses with current densities in excess of current electrowinning practice. Techniques investigated included high circulation of liquors, current reversal and the application of ultrasonics. At the same time there was a necessity for improving the quality of cathodes produced from electrolytes of high free acid content. The application of anodes which are capable of reducing or eliminating the lead content of cathodes is described in the paper. The other problem area in eletrowinning from solvent extraction produced electrolytes is the production of a higher degree of acid mist. Techniques for alleviating this problem are described bearing in mind their possible effects on the solvent extraction section of the plant.

Jan 1, 1973

By Earl Hanson

FIRES in heavily timbered mines are disastrous, involving danger to both life and property. Some mines have been completely ruined or so heavily damaged that reopening them would not pay. Though few mines are entirely free from danger of fire, the risk is minimized by proper care and good design of plant. The Tintic Standard mine is at Dividend, Utah, in the famous Tintic mining district, about 60 miles south of Salt Lake City. The development of the mine was begun in 1907 by the late Mr. E. J. Raddatz and his associates. From the beginning, the work was hampered by high rock temperatures and the presence of high concentrations of rock gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Development work was carried on with great perseverance for nine years, and resulted in the discovery of ore in 1916. The total production of the Tintic Standard mine to Jan. 1, 1936, amounted to 1,664,388 tons of ore, having a gross value of .$61,996,719.

Jan 1, 1936

By Alfonso Nájera

Turbulent flow of liquid steel and its control is studied using different geometries of turbulence inhibitors. Four designs of turbulence inhibitors were characterized through experiments of tracer injection I a water model and mathematical simulations using the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) of turbulence. Geometries included octagonal-regular, octagonal-irregular, pentagonal and squared. A layer of oil was used to model the behaviour of tundish flux during steel flow. Fluid flows in a tundish using these geometries were compared with that in a bare tundish. Experimental and simulation results indicate that the flow in the bare tundish and a tundish using turbulence inhibitors open large areas of oil due to strong shear stresses at the water-oil interface but the squared inhibitor. These phenomena are explained by the high gradient of the dissipation rate of the turbulent kinetic energy using the squared inhibitor. Using this device the kinetic energy reports a high gradient from the tundish floor to the free bath surface as compared with other geometries.

Jan 1, 2006

By Peter F. Steidl

As part of the Bureau of Mines methane control program, the Upper Free- port coalbed was studied in Fayette County, Pa., where this coalbed lies about 650 feet below the Pittsburgh coalbed and contains the largest remaining reserves of any coalbed in the county. Coal and overburden isopachs, structure and joint pattern maps, and a fence diagram were prepared using data from gas and oil exploration logs and coal outcrops. These maps will aid in determining the need and/or feasibility of degasifying the Upper Freeport coalbed in the study area. Much of the coalbed in this area is under 600 to 1,400 feet of overburden. By correlation with data from the Pittsburgh coalbed, the gas content at depths of this order is estimated to be between 140 to 300 cf/ton of coal, for a total of 190 to 400 billion cubic feet of methane in this coalbed in Fayette County.

Jan 1, 1977

By G. Sachs

THE iron-rich iron-nickel alloys have at-tracted considerable academic interest in recent years. The carbon-free alloys are of minor practical importance, but they are Atomic per cent nickel FIG. I. FIG. 2. FIG, I.-HONDA'S AND MERICA's IRON-NICKEL DIAGRAM, FIG. 2.-MARSH'S IRON-NICKEL CONSTITU-TIONAL DIAGRAM. the base of many alloys with various out-standing properties. The iron-nickel alloys, therefore, have been investigated exten-sively regarding both their structures and their properties. The researches on these alloys up to 1938 have been collected and critically reviewed by J. S. Marsh,1 and will be discussed in some detail in the sec-tions of this paper dealing with specific subjects. These numerous investigations have not succeeded in establishing the equilibrium conditions in this system. Alloys containing more than a certain amount of nickel (8 to10 per cent Ni) undergo the allotropic transformation extremely sluggishly, both on heating and cooling, showing a large hysteresis,2 which is not dependent upon

Jan 1, 1940

By Carla Lupi

In this work, nickel-cobalt electrodeposition under galvanostatic conditions was investigated. Ni-Co alloy was electrowon from an acid sulphate bath containing 40 g/L Ni and2-8 g/L Co.. The effect of electrolyte composition, current density, temperature, solution pH and presence of buffers such as H3BO3 and (NH4)2SO4 on Co content of the binary alloy has been investigated. In particular, current densities ranging from 180 to 400 A/m2 and temperatures ranging from 27 to 60°C were tested. The composition of Ni-Co alloys may be diversified through the selection of process parameters. The experiments show that the highest cobalt content of the alloy is reached by using a buffer free electrolyte without solution pH control. Though, in these conditions, the most homogeneous, fine and regular deposit morphology is obtained, energy requirements are the highest in tests lasting just two hours.

Jan 1, 2003

By Stump NW

Until a year ago all isotope on-stream analysis utilised flow cells similar to those designed for conventional X-ray on-stream analysis. These systems incorporated a fairly complex sampling system necessary to present a representa- tive air-free sample of the main process to the flow cell. Maintenance costs and capital costs associated with flow cells and sampling systems have been generally high. Costs can be greatly reduced and reliability greatly increased, by using isotopes incorporated in immersible on-stream analysis probes which actually dip into the main process stream eliminating the need for sampling. A bonus of other advantages associated with immersible probes includes temperature stability and ease of calibration. This paper discusses details and results of the probe systems, justifica- tion for installing on-stream analysis, comparison of conventional X-ray and isotope techniques, and a brief survey of methods of analysis using radio- isotopes in on-stream elemental determinations.

Jan 1, 1971

By Basak Anameric

Pig iron nugget process was developed by Kobe Steel as an environmentally friendlier, economical alternative to traditional blast furnace process. The process aimed to produce highly metallized, slag free pig iron nuggets throughout a single stage heat treatment, utilizing coal as a reducing ? carburizing agent. The objective of this work was to determine whether the pig iron nuggets produced at the laboratory conditions had comparable physical and chemical properties with the blast furnace pig iron. The physical and chemical properties of the pig iron nuggets were determined utilizing x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and apparent density measurements. The pig iron nuggets had similar chemical composition and apparent density values (6.7 ? 7 g/cm3) with blast furnace pig iron and they had microstructures similar to low carbon white cast iron. These properties make them a competitive alternative to blast furnace pig iron.

Jan 1, 2006

By M. J. Ackerman, C. R. Waine, W. M. Merritts, L. P. Mokwa

Tests were conducted in the Pocahontas No. 4 coalbed in southern West Virginia to determine if successful degasification techniques, developed during an earlier study in the Pittsburgh coalbed, would be effective in removing methane from those usually more gaseous coals. Specially designed long-hole drilling equipment and Bureau of Mines continuous recording devices were used to measure the quantity and methane content of the ventilating air during the investigation. Infusions were made with water at normal waterline pressures ranging from 200 to 220 psi or at pump pressures ranging from 400 to 650 psi. Results of the tests showed that methane emissions from free-flow bleeder holes were as much as 131 cfm. Infusions of some of the holes increased the methane emission from other holes and from the exposed coal surfaces near the working areas as much as 1,540 cfm. The methane content in the main return-air currents after infusion was reduced more than 86 percent of the amount recorded before tests were made.

Jan 1, 1963

By Kandemir H, Stafford G

The Croydon Gold Mine is located in northwest Queensland and is a joint venture between Central Coast Exploration N.L. and Pancontinental Mining Ltd. The mining operation commenced in 1987 and consists of satellite open pit mines feeding a central Carbon-In-Pulp gold Treatment Plant. The gold mineralisation is hosted by quartz veins within the Croydon Volcanic Group and the Esmeralda Granite, a cogenetic igneous suite of Middle Proterozoic age. The mineralisation comprises gold and silver with associated basemetals. The gold and silver electrum occurs as extremely fine free grains. The gold distribution is heterogenous occuring across the full vein width, or restricted to the footwall or hangingwall. The average mineral resource grade is 3.5 g/t. The deposits are all hard rock and mining is carried out by drill and blast technique. All mining activity is carried out by a mining contractor. Mining is by a selective mining method which entails the drilling, blasting and extraction of the hangingwall waste prior to orebody extraction.

Jan 1, 1989

By R. L. Templin

THE increasing use of aluminum and its alloys in commercial fields has demanded a better understanding of their machining properties. This fact is exemplified by problems that have arisen in the automotive and airplane industries, but many in other fields might be cited. As pure aluminum and its alloys in their various commercial conditions show appreciable differences in their machining properties, it is not surprising that quite divergent solutions have been offered for the machining problems encountered. However, if the fundamental requirements of the most suitable cutting tools for these metals are understood, these machining problems lend themselves more readily to satisfactory solutions. Since the machining of free cutting brass and mild steel is understood by most persons accustomed to working these metals, it may serve our purpose better to first make a general comparison of the tools more commonly used in machining these metals with the tools most suitable for machining aluminum, then proceed to a more specific discussion of the individual stools.

Jan 1, 1927

By Charles B. Kenahan

Application of ultrasonics in the electrolytic deposition of metallic manganese and manganese dioxide from sulfate electrolytes had several effects. Ultrasonics produced finer-grained deposits of electrolytic manganese at all current densities than obtained in normal cell operation, but at high current densities it resulted in less adherent deposits. Ultrasonic radiation did not affect cell voltage or cathode current efficiency. In the electrodeposition of manganese dioxide at 70° C., ultrasonic-; increased the current efficiency and decreased the cell voltage at a current density of 9 amperes per square foot, but it had little effect at current densities above this. The decrease in cell voltage was caused by the depolarizing action of ultrasonics at both anode and cathode. Ultrasonic radiation produced a smooth, glossy, adherent, and pit-free deposit at all current densities and at each temperature. Radiation had no effect on current efficiency or cell voltage at 90° C. Ultrasonics was more effective than conventional agitation in producing all of these effects.

Jan 1, 1962

By G. L. Oldright

"The various districts in the United States where complex lead-zinc ores occur are too well known to require description, there being hardly a mining State with any large amount of ores of either metal that is free from this problem. This paper briefly presents developments in the volatilization process, as applied to the treatment of such ores, since the data in Bureau of Mines Bulletin 211** were published. In that bulletin, among the many types of ore treated, examples are given of the treatment of lead-zinc ores by the chloride volatilization process for the separation of lead. An outline of the general process, with views of the rotary kiln, ore feeder, firing system (these three features resemble closely those of cement-kiln practice), dust chambers, and a Cottrell precipitator to remove the fume from the gas, are also shown in that bulletin, to which the reader is referred for the results obtained, and for practical details of operation. The small initial cost of a volatilization plant, and its adaptability for use in isolated districts were emphasized.In general, it was found that when an intensely oxidizing atmosphere was maintained in the furnace, a good lead-zinc separation could be made. Therefore, a heavy sulphide ore would have to be preroasted, and enough air would have to be admitted to obtain complete combustion of whatever fuel might be used.The work done by private companies and the bureau since the data for Bulletin 211 were obtained, indicates that the ores most immediately amenable to treatment by volatilization are of two types. The first is an oxidzed lead. silrer ore whose variable lime content makes it impractical to chloridize the ore for acidulated brine leaching, and whose base metal content makes treatment by cyanidattion unfeasible, The second type is the lead-zinc ore mentioned above, and is the one on which data are available for publication at present. This article Chows what ores of this latter type are amenable to treatment by volatilization, by giving briefly some of the more important physical and chemical properties an ore should preferably possess. Several examples are given from both laboratory experimental work, and from practice in the field, showing various phases of the volatilization process."

Nov 1, 1923

By K. Hanumantha Rao, A. Javadi Nooshabadi

"Formation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an oxidizing agent stronger than oxygen, by chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), which is a copper iron sulfide mineral, during grinding, was investigated. It was observed that chalcopyrite generated H2O2 in pulp liquid during wet grinding and also in the solids when placed in water immediately after dry grinding. The generation of H2O2 during either wet or dry grinding was thought to be due to a reaction between chalcopyrite and water where the mineral surface is catalytically active in producing •OH free radicals by breaking down the water molecule. The effect of pH in the grinding medium or in the water in which solids are added immediately after dry grinding showed that the lower the pH value, the higher the H2O2 generation. When chalcopyrite and pyrite are mixed in different proportions, the formation of H2O2 was seen to increase with increasing pyrite fraction in the mixed composition. The results of H2O2 formation in pulp liquid of chalcopyrite and together with pyrite at different experimental conditions have been explained by Eh-pH diagrams of these minerals. This study highlights the necessity of revisiting the electrochemical and/or galvanic interaction mechanisms between the chalcopyrite and pyrite in terms of their flotation behavior.IntroductionHydrogen peroxide causes nonselective oxidation of sulfide minerals if present in pulp liquid. Oxidation of sulfide minerals takes place when they are exposed to atmosphere and during the grinding process when the particle size is reduced for flotation. The oxidation of chalcopyrite leads to iron dissolution from the particle surface and from a metal-deficient, sulfur-rich surface (Fairthorne et al., 1997). Other studies report the formation of iron hydroxide on the surface with the metal ion dislodged on the surface (Buckley and Woods, 1984; Chander, 1991). The chemical reactions for the oxidation of chalcopyrite in alkaline and in acidic solutions with the addition of oxidants, such as oxygen or hydrogen peroxide, are shown in Eqs. (1) and (2), respectively (Shi and Fornasiero, 2010)."

Jan 1, 2015

By Jack Bedder

"Editor’s note: We would like to thank those who make this annual issue possible. A special thank you goes out to the industrial minerals annual review editor, to the Industrial Minerals & Aggregates Division Technical Committee chair and vice chairs, and to the authors of the individual commodity profiles.Jim Norman, member SME, of Tetra Tech, is the industrial minerals annual review editor.Ebrahim K. Tarshizi, member SME, of Michigan Tech, is chair of the Industrial Minerals &Aggregates Division’s Technical Committee.The technical committee vice chairs include: • Hyunjung Kim, member SME, of Chonbuk National University, agricultural materials.• Xihui Yin, member SME, of Kemira, ceramics and refractory materials.• Nikhil Gupta, member SME, of Virginia Tech, chemical raw materials.• Jasson Giddens and Swadhin Saurabh, members SME, of Oil Dri Corp of America and Mill Creek Engineering, respectively, chemical raw materials.• Snehamoy Chatterjee, member SME, of the Michigan Tech.• LeDeana Roberts and Shubham Verma, members SME, of Imerys and U.S. Oil Sands, respectively, fillers and pigments.• Thomas Hilderbrand and Kaiwu Huang, members SME, of Thiele Kaolin Co. and Virginia Tech, respectively, sorbents, filters and process aids.• Rhaghav Dubey and Edgar Blanco, members SME, of Outotec and FL Smidth, respectively, specialty mineralsAntimony generally occurs along with gold, lead, copper and silver. There are more than 100 antimony minerals, although the sulfide mineral stibnite is the main one.Antimony enters the supply chain either as a result of mining (primary production) or recycling (secondary production). China has by far the largest antimony resources and is, as a result, the world’s center for antimony mine production. In 2016, it accounted for more than three quarters of the global mine supply out of a world production figure of 130 kt (143,000 st), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The biggest, and most high-grade deposits are found in southern China, with the largest mines located in Hunan, Guangxi and Yunnan provinces. Tajikistan, Russia, Australia and Bolivia are the largest mine producers outside China. A new antimony project in Oman made progress in 2016, producing first metal in April 2016 in test facilities, and then ordered three furnaces for a 26 kt/a (28,600 stpy) antimony metal and oxide smelter that is due on stream in late 2017.Antimony ingot production is not as widespread as is antimony mine production, owing to the high levels of pollution that are associated with antimony smelting. It is for this reason that smelting has been largely confined to China and other Asian countries, where environmental legislation is less stringent.Antimony oxide production is undertaken on four continents with China being the biggest producer. There is also a considerable amount of oxide production in Europe — which relies on imported feedstock, mostly from China. Antimony also enters the supply chain through recycling. Lead containing antimony is produced in a number of countries, mainly in secondary lead smelters. Typically, a blast furnace charge containing used or discarded battery plates, type metal or bearing metal is reduced to lead bullion, which is refined in reverberatory furnaces and melting pots. In the main, the antimony recovered is consumed in metallurgical applications. China was the biggest secondary antimony producer in 2016, and accounted for 25 retardants and lead-acid batteries. Flame retardants accounted for roughly 50 percent of consumption in 2016 with batteries representing about 25 percent. Other end uses include plastics and heat stabilizers, ceramics and glass and a variety of metallurgical applications. Demand has been sluggish since the global financial crisis, mostly because key markets failed to recover strongly from the downturn, particularly in Europe."

Jan 7, 2017

"Editor’s note: Each year, Mining Engineering features an industrial minerals review. Several people put in a fair amount of time in developing the material for this issue, all the while doing their own jobs. Thank you to the industrial minerals annual review editor, to the Industrial Minerals and Aggregates Division technical committee chair and vice chairs, and to the authors of the individual commodity profiles.Jim Norman, member SME, of Tetra Tech, is the industrial minerals annual review editor.Vishal Gupta, member SME, of EP Minerals LLC, is chair of the Industrial Minerals &Aggregates Division’s Technical Committee.The technical committee vice chairs include:• Vishal Gupta, member SME, of EP Minerals LLC, Agricultural Materials.• Joe Garska, member SME, of Imerys, ceramics and refractory materials.• Stanley Krukowski, member SME, of the Oklahoma Geological Survey, chemical raw materials.• Russell Winn, member SME, of R.E. Janes Gravel Co., chemical raw materials.• Justin Zdunczyk, member SME, of Pike Industries, construction aggregates.• Jerry Gauntt, member SME, of Golder Associates, fillers and pigments.• Ebrhaim K. Tarshizi, member SME, of the Michigan Tech, sorbents, filters and process aids.• Daniel T. Eyde, member SME, of St. Cloud Mining, specialty minerals.Their help makes possible this July industrial minerals issue. On behalf of ME readers, the editors thank them.Virta, R.L. U.S. Geological Survey, National Minerals Information CenterFour companies - H.C. Spinks Clay Co., Inc., Imerys, Old Hickory Clay Co., and Unimin Corp. - mined ball clay in four states in 2013. On the basis of preliminary data, production was 1 Mt (1.1 million st) with an estimated value of $47 million. Production increased by 3 percent in tonnage from 973 kt (1.1 million st) with a value of $45.1 million in 2012. Tennessee was the leading producer state accounting for 64 percent of domestic production, followed by Texas, Mississippi and Kentucky. About 67 percent of total ball clay production was airfloat, 22 percent was crude or shredded and 11 percent was water-slurried.ConsumptionIn 2013, domestic ball clay producers sold clays to the following markets: ceramic floor and wall tile (44 percent); exports (21 percent); sanitaryware (18 percent); miscellaneous ceramics (9 percent); fillers, extenders, and binders, and unspecified uses (4 percent each), based on 2012 end use patterns and current markets. Other markets accounted for less than 1 percent of the remaining ball clay sales or use. Sales reported for the manufacture of fiberglass or most filler, extender, and binder applications were likely to have been mainly kaolin mined or purchased by the ball clay producers.PricesThe average value of domestically produced ball clay was approximately $47/t ($43/st) in 2013 compared with $46/t ($42/st) in 2012, on the basis of a preliminary survey of domestic ball clay producers. The unit values of exported and imported ball clay were $126/t ($114/ st) and $373/t ($338/st), respectively, in 2013, compared with $62/t ($56/st) and $314/t ($285/st), respectively, in 2012. Unit values for most large export shipments increased in 2013, and a larger number of low-tonnage, high-value export shipments were shipped in 2013 than in 2012, resulting in a doubling of the average export value. Two low-tonnage, high-value shipments in 2013 accounted for the increased value of imports."

Jan 1, 2014

When the Organic Act of 1910 established the Bureau of Mines within the Department of the Interior, the Bureau's programs involved only health and safety research and education, and fuels testing. As the Federal Government's primary agency for research in minerals, the Bureau has expanded its scientific and technological investigations to mining, processing mineral substances, eliminating occupational health and safety hazards in the mineral industries, economic development, and resource conservation. Today, Bureau activities cover a broad spectrum of programs for meeting the diverse (and sometimes conflicting) needs of mineral industries, government, and the public. In the 1960's, the Bureau initiated programs to resolve environmental problems associated with past mining and mineral processing. Dependence on foreign sources of raw materials critical to our national economy and competition from other countries for these world supplies stimulated the need to conserve and use with intelligence the Nation's minerals, metals, and materials.

Jan 1, 1978

This Bureau of Mines report is a reference manual of procedures used by the Bureau's Twin Cities Mining Research Center for obtaining rock properties. Included in the report are discussions on the usage of each property, descriptions of the general test methods for obtaining the properties, and instructions for performing the tests. The Instructions embrace details of the specimen configuration, test apparatus, test procedure, test conditions, and calculations needed to achieve satisfactory results. Although the procedures presented in this reference manual generally conform to recommendations of the ASTM Administrative Committee on Standards, they are not purported to be standards.

Jan 1, 1974

The problem of separating the constituents of a mixed gas has assumed increasing importance to chemical technology during the last several decades. Metallurgical practice, dealing mostly with the application of gases as fuel, such as for the oxidation or reduction of ores, has not often confronted an important need for such separations. If theory occasionally has indicated advantages in the use of purified or separated gases, as for example the "dry" blast for the iron furnace or oxygen-enriched blast for a variety of smelting operations, the economics of the proposals has not often been satisfactory. It has seemed evident that the practice of the chemical plant was too expensive with regard to installation or material costs, or both, for the needs of the basic smelting industries and indeed was applicable commercially to metallurgical purposes only when the metals in question were especially valuable or pure. This bulletin deals with a new mechanical means of attacking the problem of separation. Although it is improbable that any one type of separation could hope to find universal application, the method described is to be regarded as an alternative to conventional means that has attractive possibilities in certain instances. It extends the number of methods previously available by one that has not before been applied commercially and that utilizes a well-known property of gases that never has received effective technologic attention.

Jan 1, 1940